Evaporating apparatus.



No. 856,478. PATENTBD JUNE 11, 1907.

S. G. LEWIS.

EVAPORATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1900.

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No. 856,478. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907. s. G. LEWIS.

BVAPORATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED J LY 18, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

SYLVESTER G. LEWIS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGN OR TO BANANA FOODPRODUCTS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ARIZONA TERRITORY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed July 16,1906. Serial No. 326,426.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SYLVES'IER G. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of St. Louis, hilissouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Evaporating Apparatus, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to improvements in an evaporating apparatus,adapted more particularly for the treatment of bananas, preparatory toconverting the same into various food products, though applicable alsoto other similar uses.

The main object of my invention is to effect a thorough drying of thefruit, without subjecting the same to any cooking or other injuriousaction, with the greatest facility and economy. To accomplish this, Inot only provide 'for an independent circulation of the drying medium incontact with each separate layer or tray of the fruit being treated, butI also provide for the more effective and satisfactory utilization ofthe air current by causing a portion thereof to circulate through thelayers of fruit to quickly free the moisture therein, and anotherportion to promptly carry oil' the moisture so freed from the fruit,thus maintaining at all stages in the process a very low humidity withinthe apparatus, which condition is essential to the securing of the bestresults, as well as to the proper maintenance of the apparatus.

A further object of my invention is to equip this apparatus with acondenser where by the moisture escaping from the apparatus is broughtin contact with the under side of the condenser and condensed, and thecondcnsation collected and used as a by-product.

Referring to the drawingsFigure 1v is a vertical cross-sectional view ofmy invention taken through mid-center. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, withparts broken away showing a portion of the interior, viewing the samefrom the side indicatedby the arrow in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detailperspective view of one of the trays made use of in carrying out myinvention.

In the construction of my invention, I provide a suitable housingcomposed of a front wall 4, a rear wall 5, end-walls 6 and 7, and a top8. The 'front wall 4 is provided with a plurality of openings 9, whichare covered by the doors 10, through which the trays 11 are inserted andremoved into the interior of my device.

The top of my device is composed of two sections, so arranged as toallow-an air-space between the same, through which air may circulatefrom end to end. IVithin the casing, I provide an inclined wall 12,which is arrangml to deflect the heat upwardly, and act as a shield todeflect the heat in contact with each and every plate 13 locatedhorizontally and slightly inclined within the device.

The plates 13 are made preferably of sheetmetal, forming between thenran independent compartment. IVithin each compartment, I providesupporting-strips 14, upon which the trays 11 are placed and held inposition. Below the lowest plate, I provide a covering 15 extending theentire length of the device, and beneath the same is mounted aheating-dru m 16, which communicates with the furnace 17 by means of aconnecting-pipe 18. To the opposite end 01 the drum 16 I provide theflue-pipe 19, which extends upwardly, and of a sulficient height to giveproper draft for the turn ace.

The furnace 17 is located to one side of the apparatus, and through saidfurnace is passed a pair of fresh air tubes 20, which lead into theapparatus above and at each side of the heating-drum, and said tubes areprovided with outlets through which fresh air, after becoming heatedwhile passing through the furnace, is admitted into the apparatus.

In the top 8, I'provide an opening 21, through which the moisture andheat may pass from the apparatus, and come in contact with the undersurface of an inclined roof 22, supported on walls 23 located at eachend 01 the apparatus. A portion of the walls 23 is cut away forming thespace 24 to provide proper circulation and cause sufficient draft forpermitting the vapors to be expelled from the interior of the apparatus.Upon the apex of the roof, I provide a waterpipe 25, provided with aplurality of jetholes 26, permitting a [low of water to pass over therool, [or cooling the same, and this water is caught in the troughs 27formed at the caves of the roof. Against the surface of the roof, Iprovide troughs 28, which extend along the entire length, and emptytheir contents through the pipe 29 into any suitable container. Theobject of these troughs 28 is to catch the particles of condensed vaporas they pass downwardly, and which condensation is formed by means ofthe heated vapor coming in contact with the chilled roof.

In case particles of the condensation should fall from the under surfaceof the roof, I catch the same by means of the basin 30, which issuitably supported upon the top 8 by brackets, and providing suitableairspace beneath to prevent the basin from becoming heated from theapparatus.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The bananas are placed uponthe trays 11, and the trays, together with their contents, are placedupon the supports 14 within the apparatus, the heat from the drum 16passing upwardly, and by means of each of the plates 13 projecting onebeyond the other, the longest being at the top, and the shortest at thebottom, and the heat having a tendency to rise vertically, will come incontact with the projecting edge of each plate, and on account of theinclination of each plate, will cause the heat to pass through eachcompartment, coming in contact with the bananas upon the trays, heatingand drying the same, and preventing the moisture from one tray fromcoming in contact with the other, and by means of the opening 21 in thetop, creating sufficient draft to draw the heat, together with thevapors from the apparatus, and to permit said vapors to come in contactwith the condenser.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tohave secured to 35 me by the grant of Letters Patent is:

1. An evaporating apparatus comprising a casing, a hot-air chamberformed Within said casing, an inclined partition wall located in saidcasing, a plurality of plates located in,4o

and extending over the heating device, in- 50 clined plates located inthe casing, their ends projecting an equal distance from the inclinedpartition wall, a condenser located upon the top of the casing, the endwalls of said condenser provided with openings at the 5 5 apex for thecirculation of air, and a basin located upon the casing beneath thecondenser, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inpresence of two 60 subscribing witnesses.

SYLVESTER G. LEWIS. Witnesses:

ALFRED A. EIoKs, L. A. L. MoINTYRE.

